This picture shows the power of a hug. The heart-tugging photo of a kangaroo hugging a teddy bear has taken social media by storm. The orphaned kangaroo received the stuffed toy as a gift and now they’re inseparable. 

The original photo was posted on Twitter by Timothy Beshara, a media advisor to a senator in Australia. “Doodlebug,” the kangaroo was snapped by Beshara mom, Gillian Abbot, a licensed wildlife caretaker, who is part of the WIRES rescue group. Abbot is also the caretaker of the 5-month-old orphaned kangaroo.

Beshara told ABC News that Doodlebug loves its new best friend. “He uses the teddy like any toddler would. The eastern gray kangaroo treats the bear as its companion, lies next to it, practices kicking against it and, ultimately, cuddles it,” he stated.

IMAGE SOURCE: BORED PANDA 

Doodlebug was found over a year ago in a very fragile and unhealthy state.

It is unclear how the little one lost his mom, but there is speculation that he fell out of his mother’s pouch and has since been left in the wild. Another possibility is that Doodlebug’s mother died.

The kangaroo is currently on “soft-release,” which means that the wildlife staff is preparing him for a gradual homecoming into the wild. Doodlebug is allowed to hop around the forest but comes back to Abbot’s residence once in a while for occasional supplementary feedings.

IMAGE SOURCE: BORED PANDA 

There is no surprise that the photo has garnered such an international liking. According to Beshara, nature can elicit great happiness in people if only they took the time to pay attention.

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